When it rains....it pours....literally.

Thursday morning I got everyone off to school in record time--we had just had two snow days, so I was ready for them to get back in the swing of it!

Came home to hang out with Sammy until it was time for crossfit.

Went to crossfit and had a GREAT workout.

Came home, had been gone about an hour and 20 minutes.  Sammy is always peeking through the kitchen window looking for me.  (I swear the dog has separation anxiety)

I saw my cute little furry cockapoo....standing on the kitchen table.  Really?  On the table?  I went to the door and didn't even notice the water pouring out of the front door.  I opened the door and there was a wet Sammy, jumping on me, covered in water and ice.  I look around and the entire downstairs is flooded (well except the bathroom where the water heater is behind a door and there is a DRAIN there, lol).

Water was pouring gushing out of the ceiling on three sides.  I didn't know what to do.  Apparently running around with a cold wet dog in your arms while asking the dog what to do is not very successful in stopping the water.  I ran next door where my neighbor had a friend over and asked them to call housing because my house was flooding.  (A friendly word of advice--in a crisis, I am NOT the person to have because I panic, that's why Gunner is so good for me!)

I finally find a phone and call housing three times and get no answer.  The neighbor's friend comes over and shuts off my water.  He tells me to run to housing down the street.  Ummmm.....I guess they were out and about because the office was locked up tight.

I ran back and continued calling housing...press 3 if you have an emergency work order.  I probably broke my three button.

I finally give up and call the MP's.  The fire department shows up and sloshes through my house.  They got on the radios and kept on housing until they showed up.  Then the carpet people appeared like magic and were making plans to move everything into my garage.  LOL  My garage?  Really, you think you can fit one more thing in that garage?

They decided pods were the answer.  The fireman stayed until they had it clear to housing and everyone there that I was not moving anything or footing the bill.  Thank goodness for them!

So we wait for pods.  I called Erin in a panic asking her to come get my poor pupsicle.  Then I asked her to get Andrew.  A true friend, as her husband is home on R&R and they just ran with it and kept him for me.  Then I called the Dutchican to help me with the girls.  Thank goodness for blogging friends!  While I struggled to pack and make sure I had everything of importance with me, they fed, watered, and kept the kids alive, which I struggle with most days!  (Although I did hear that Abs was a little vocal about the SWAT team at dinner!)

To make a long story short, the pods finally arrived, they moved my stuff, removed the carpet, and set fans.

Housing put us up in two adjoining rooms in a nice hotel, and needing some quiet, I put all three kids in one room and then claimed the other as my own.  It's easier to put them to bed, and then I don't have to be in the dark all night.  Does that make me a bad mom?  I haven't closed and locked the doors adjoining the room....yet.

So in true ABW fashion, the last 7 weeks of this deployment are turning into the 7 weeks of hell.

On the bright side, I am thankful for the support of all my friends.  That I had friends I could call on in a crisis and who helped me with the kids and the dog.  That another friend emailed Gunner and he called within 20 minutes of notification.  That I had tons of offers of help.  That I have insurance.

Most importantly, that I survived.  At the time I envisioned the worst and didn't know how I was ever going to make it through it.  If Gunner had been home, he would have been so calm and made me laugh while it was happening, but me, Mrs. Panic, was a mess.  I'm sure one day this will be funny, but right now it is all I can do to keep from crying.

More later on the drama of housing, itemizing, and all things army related....